Maersk suspends its departures to the Red Sea after Houthi attack on a container ship

Houthi-backed militants attacked container ship Maersk with missiles and small boats, which led the company to suspend all its navigation in the Red Sea for 48 hours.

The crew of the Maersk Hangzhou were safe and there were no signs of fire aboard the vessel, which was fully maneuverable and continued its journey north to Port Suez, Maersk said in a statement.

The episode was a new attack by Yemen’s Houthi militants against ships in the Red Sea to show their support for the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which fights against Israel in Gaza.

The attacks have disrupted global trade, and major shipping companies They have opted for the longer and more expensive route around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa instead of using the Suez Canal.

The Red Sea is the entry point for ships that use the Suez Canal, through which around 12% of world trade flows and vital for the movement of goods between Asia and Europe.

On December 19, the United States launched the operation “Prosperity Guardian”in which more than 20 countries agreed to participate to protect ships in Red Sea waters near Yemen.

In response, Maersk declared on December 24 that it would resume Red Sea voyages. However, the attacks have continued and US allies have been reluctant to engage with the coalition, with nearly half not publicly declaring their presence.

Maersk, one of the world’s leading cargo companies, said on Sunday it would halt all transits through the area for 48 hours after the Maersk Hangzhou was hit by a missile around 1730 GMT on Saturday 55 nautical miles southwest. from Al Hodeidah (Yemen).

A US warship shot down two more ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).

Later, around 0330 GMT on Sunday, the same ship was attacked by Houthi militants in four small boats. The attempt to board the ship was averted after its security team and helicopters from the USS Eisenhower and USS Gravely, responding to distress calls, returned fire, Maersk and CENTCOM said.

The helicopters sank three of the militant boats, with no survivors, while the fourth boat fled the area, CENTCOM said in the statement.

The Singapore-flagged Maersk Hangzhou, capable of carrying 14,000 containers, was en route from Singapore.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said on Sunday he had told his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian, that Iran should help stop Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.

“I made it clear that Iran shares responsibility for preventing these attacks, given its long-standing support for the Houthis.”Cameron said in a post on the social network X, adding that the attacks “They threaten innocent lives and the global economy.”